Editing Ring system (section)

=== Prehistoric ring systems ===

==== Earth ====
{{main|Rings of Earth}}

A 2024 study suggests that Earth may have had a ring system for a period of 40 million years, starting from the middle of the [[Ordovician]] period (around 466 million years ago). This ring system may have originated from a large asteroid that passed by Earth at this time and had a significant amount of debris stripped by Earth's gravitational pull, forming a ring system. Evidence for this ring comes from impact craters from the [[Ordovician meteor event]] appearing to cluster in a distinctive band around the Earth's equator at that time. The presence of this ring may have led to significant shielding of Earth from sun's rays and a severe cooling event, thus causing the [[Andean-Saharan glaciation|Hirnantian glaciation]], the coldest known period of the last 450 million years.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Tomkins |first1=Andrew G. |last2=Martin |first2=Erin L. |last3=Cawood |first3=Peter A. |date=2024-11-15 |title=Evidence suggesting that earth had a ring in the Ordovician |journal=Earth and Planetary Science Letters |volume=646 |pages=118991 |doi=10.1016/j.epsl.2024.118991 |issn=0012-821X|doi-access=free |bibcode=2024E&PSL.64618991T }}</ref>